As a junior, Pat Price was a dominant force on the blueline of the Saskatoon Blades from 1970 to 1974. During that time, references to the next Bobby Orr were not uncommon. As such, he was selected 11th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1975 Amateur Draft.

But Price opted instead to join the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA where remuneration was significantly higher than in the NHL. He signed as an untested rookie for $ 1.3 million. The Blazers would have fared better, however, had they tested their new recruit before leaving a pile of money at his door. Price's performance was disappointing: the junior moves he'd used so successfully in Saskatoon simply didn't work at the WHA level.

Price slipped out of town the following year with his money and took the Islanders up on their offer. But again, his inability to adapt his junior talent to the NHL landed him in the minors before he finally caught on with the parent club, albeit not without controversy. In his fourth season with the club, he was benched by coach Al Arbour during a playoff run. In response, Price demanded a trade, noting that his four years with the club had been a waste of his time.

His wish was quickly granted as he was dispatched to the Edmonton Oilers where he played for two seasons before moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a year and a half. He then landed in Quebec with the Nordiques where, not long after his arrival, his career fell into jeopardy at the hands of a rare disease. From origins unknown, he'd been stricken with an extremely rare form of viral encephalitis that causes brain inflammation and can kill. Fortunately, he pulled through and resumed what amounted to the most stable stint of his pro career. He never realized the promise he'd shown in his youth, but he did settle in as an effective blueliner with a playmaker's touch.

Price left the Nordiques in 1986-87 to join the Rangers for a brief spell before rounding out his NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars later that same year.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1970-71

Saskatoon Blades

WCJHL

66

2

16

18

56

5

0

3

3

2

1971-72

Saskatoon Blades

WCJHL

66

10

48

58

85

8

0

3

3

25

1972-73

Saskatoon Blades

WCJHL

67

12

56

68

134

16

4

17

21

24

1973-74

Saskatoon Blades

WCJHL

68

27

68

95

147

6

3

4

7

13

1974-75

Canada

Summit-74

1974-75

Vancouver Blazers

WHA

68

5

29

34

15

1975-76

New York Islanders

NHL

4

0

2

2

2

+4

1975-76

Fort Worth Texans

CHL

72

6

44

50

119

1976-77

New York Islanders

NHL

71

3

22

25

25

+26

10

0

1

1

2

1977-78

New York Islanders

NHL

52

2

10

12

27

+25

5

0

1

1

2

1977-78

Rochester Americans

AHL

5

2

1

3

9

1978-79

New York Islanders

NHL

55

3

11

14

50

+18

7

0

1

1

25

1979-80

Edmonton Oilers

NHL

75

11

21

32

134

+4

3

0

0

0

11

1980-81

Edmonton Oilers

NHL

59

8

24

32

193

-7

1980-81

Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL

13

0

10

10

33

+2

5

1

1

2

21

1981-82

Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL

77

7

31

38

322

+2

5

0

0

0

28

1982-83

Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL

38

1

11

12

104

-19

1982-83

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

14

1

2

3

28

-3

4

0

0

0

14

1983-84

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

72

3

25

28

188

+20

9

1

0

1

10

1984-85

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

68

1

26

27

118

+17

17

0

4

4

51

1985-86

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

54

3

13

16

82

0

3

0

1

1

4

1986-87

Quebec Nordiques

NHL

47

0

6

6

81

-7

1986-87

Fredericton Express

AHL

7

0

0

0

14

1986-87

New York Rangers

NHL

13

0

2

2

49

-8

6

0

1

1

27

1987-88

Minnesota North Stars

NHL

14

0

2

2

20

-3

1987-88

Kalamazoo Wings

IHL

2

1

1

2

15

NHL Totals

726

43

218

261

1456

74

2

10

12

195

WCJHL First All-Star Team (1974)

Selected by Vancouver (WHA) in 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, May, 1974. Claimed by Edmonton from NY Islanders in Expansion Draft, June 13, 1979. Traded to Pittsburgh by Edmonton for Pat Hughes, March 10, 1981. Claimed on waivers by Quebec from Pittsburgh, December 31, 1982. Traded to NY Rangers by Quebec for Lane Lambert, March 5, 1987. Traded to Minnesota by NY Rangers for Willi Plett, September 8, 1987.